Matthew 3
3
Chapter 3
John the Baptist prepares a way for Jesus
1While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea.#3:1 Judea was part of Israel. 2He told people, ‘You have done many wrong things. You must turn away from them and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’
3God's prophet Isaiah spoke about this man John long ago. He said:
‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness,
“The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow.
Make the paths straight for him.” ’ #3:3 See Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah was telling people about a man called John. John told the people to get ready for Jesus to come. People mend roads before a king travels along them. Isaiah used this as a picture. It helped the people to understand how to prepare themselves for Jesus.
4John wore clothes made from the hair of a camel. He also wore a belt made from leather. His usual food was locusts and honey from the wilderness. #3:4 A camel is a large animal that lives in the wilderness. It can carry heavy things on its back like a horse. The insects that John ate were called locusts. An insect called a bee makes honey. It is sweet like sugar.
5Many people went to listen to John. They lived in Jerusalem and all over the country called Judea and many other places near the Jordan River. 6The people told God about all the wrong things that they had done. Then John baptized them in the Jordan River. #3:6 John baptized people who wanted to stop doing wrong things. These people told God that they were sorry. They were sorry about the wrong things that they had done. God then forgave them.
7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to John. #3:7 The Pharisees were a group of Jews. They thought that they obeyed all God's rules. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. Sadducees were an important group of Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus. They wanted John to baptize them. He said to them, ‘You are like dangerous snakes. God is angry. You are trying to run away from him. But he will soon punish people like you. 8You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. 9Do not say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them! 10You are like trees that have bad fruit. God has an axe ready to use. He will cut down every tree that does not make good fruit. He will throw those trees into the fire.
11I baptize you with water. This shows that you want to change the way that you live. But another person will come soon. #3:11 Jesus is the important person who is coming. John is using a story to teach the people about the work that Jesus will do. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough even to carry his shoes for him. This other person will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12He is like a farmer that brings the wheat home from his field. He uses a special tool to throw the wheat up in the air. He does this to make the wheat seeds separate from what remains. Then he cleans his yard. He carefully stores all the seeds to keep them safe. But he burns everything else in a great fire that nobody can put out.’
John baptizes Jesus
13Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted John to baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him. He said to Jesus, ‘I should ask you to baptize me. You should not ask me to baptize you.’
15Jesus replied, ‘This time, do what I ask you to do. We must do everything correctly, as God wants it.’ So John did what Jesus asked him to do.
16When John baptized him, Jesus came up out of the water. At that moment, the skies opened. Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down. He came down like a dove and he stayed on Jesus. 17Then a voice spoke from heaven, which said, ‘This man is my Son and I love him. He makes me very happy.’
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Matthew 3: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 3
3
1Now in those days comes John the baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh. 3For this is he who has been spoken of through Esaias the prophet, saying, Voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 4And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey. 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the country round the Jordan, 6and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance. 9And do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire; 12whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
13Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised of him; 14but John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me? 15But Jesus answering said to him, Suffer it now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffers him. 16And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him: 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.